Press the Press: Announcing the FRPAA Day of Action on April 25th!

On April 25th, the Right to Research Coalition will host a Day of Action in support of the Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA), which would revolutionize students’ access to scholarly research by requiring that all federally-funded research be made openly available to the public. Students are encouraged to write op-eds and letters to the editor for publication in their local and campus newspapers, and write their legislators encouraging them to support and co-sponsor the bill. Students have already made a real impact, helping to secure a number of FRPAA’s 26 new co-sponsors, and April 25th will serve as a springboard to amplify student influence and help make FRPAA a reality.

3 simple ways you can participate in the FRPAA Day of Action

1. Write for your local paper.

First and foremost: on April 25th, write and submit an op-ed or letter to the editor (LTE) supporting FRPAA to your local or campus newspaper – the bigger the outlet, the better. Writing an article in your local newspaper is one of the most effective ways to influence your representatives, so be sure to mention your legislators by name and send a copy to their offices once it’s published. Your piece may not necessarily run on the 25th, but we’ll be collecting all of the articles that are published over that next week as a result of the Day of Action to use in lobbying Congress.

Write to your legislators and ask that they support FRPAA . You can do so directly from our legislative action center (hosted by the Alliance for Taxpayer Access), which includes a customizable template letter.

3. Get the word out.

Raise awareness of FRPAA through Facebook, Twitter, other social media sites, blogs, and any appropriate mailing lists you may be a part of. Encourage your friends and colleagues to consider writing op-eds and LTEs as well, and to contact their Congressional representatives and encourage them to support FRPAA.

For more ways to support public access to federally-funded research and additional resources, see our FRPAA call to action.

Follow up!

Once your op-ed or letter to the editor is published, make sure you forward it to your representatives, and send a copy to nick [at] arl [dot] org so we can be sure to publicize your contribution and use it to lobby for FRPAA’s passage.

Comments

If we send our work for publication, for free. If we also serve as a referee for other's scientists work, for free. Why do we have to then pay in order to be able to read the published content? (with public money, moreover). It does not make any sense. It is a win-win deal for the publishers, and lose-lose deal for the scientists and the society at large. This unfair system must change. And the sooner the better. Thanks.